Envelop-moistener



D. C. ROGERS.

ENVELOP MOISTENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAYIB, I920.

l,3?2,9 Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

DANIEL C. ROGERS, OF DE WII'T, MISSOURI.

ENVELOP-MOISTENER.

Application filed May lS, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL C. Roenns, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of De Witt, county of Carroll, and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelop-Moisteners, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an envelop moistener.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofenvelop moisteners and to provide a simple, practical and efficientdevice of strong and inexpensive construction, capable of enablingenvelops to be rapidly moistened and sealed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an envelop moistener ofthis character adapted to receive a stack of envelops with their gummedflaps in extended position, and capable of automatically moistening thegummed areas of the envelops as they are successively removed from thestack, whereby the envelops may be rapidly sealed and held one upon theother so that the moistened envelops will dry and be properly andeffectively sealed during the operation of removing the envelops fromthe machine and closing them.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointedout in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that variouschanges in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction,within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantagesthereof.

In the drawings, in which like characters of reference designatecorresponding parts in the several figures:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an envelop moistener constructed .inaccordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, the moistening device being supported on anelevated position to permit a stack of envelops to be arranged upon thebase; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

Serial No. 382,379.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional View illustrating the construction ofthe moistening device and the manner of slidably mounting the same.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated the preferredembodiment of the invention, the envelop moistener, which is designedfor moistening envelops, bulletins and the like, comprises in itsconstruction a base 1 provided at the back with a socket 2 receiving thelower end of a vertical standard 3 and preferably consisting of a platehaving its terminal portions 4 secured to the rear edge of the base andprovided with an intermediate substantially U-shaped portion or bendforming the socket. The standard 3 is preferably rectangular in crosssection, but it may be of any other desired shape, and it forms avertical guide for a sliding sleeve 5 of a moistening device consistingof a horizontal casing 6 and a wick 7. The sliding sleeve is rigidlyconnected with the casing by means of arms 8 diverging forwardly fromopposite sides of the sliding sleeve and connected at its front ends tothe horizontal casing 6 at opposite sides of the center thereof.

The casing 6, which has angularly related portions diverging forwardlyto conform to the general configuration of the gummed portions of theflap of an envelop is composed of a top wall, side walls and end walls,and it is open at the bottom to permit the wick 7 which may beconstructed of any suitable absorbent material, to extend slightly belowthe open bottom of the casing for engaging and moistening the flaps ofthe envelops. The casing constitutes a W101i holder and the envelops aredesigned to be placed in a pile or stack upon the base with their flapsopen or extended toward the standard and in position for enabling themoistening device to rest upon the flap of the top envelop of the pileor stack. The envelops are adapted to be rapidly pulled from the top ofthe pile and are drawn outward to'cause the moistening device to have awiping action on the gummed portion of the flap for moistening theadhesive material. The envelop as it is removed is closed andtransferred to the left hand and the operation may be rapidly continueduntil a number of envelops have been moistened and sealed. The holdingof the envelops in the left hand during this opera tion will permit theflaps to stick and cause the envelops to be properly and effectivelysealed. It will be clear that the envelops may be moistened and closedand sealed as rapidly as they can be jerked from the stack or pile uponthe base of the envelop moistener.

The wick holding casing is provided at the center with a short upwardlyextending nipple or tube 9, to which is connected the lower end of aflexible tube 10 which extends upwardly to a tank or container 11 forsupplying the moistening device with water.

The tank or container 11 which is provided with an inverted rectangularsocket 12 to fit over the upper end of the standard, is provided at thebottom with a depending outlet tube or nipple 13 for coupling the upperend of the flexible tube to the tank orcontainer. The ends of theflexible tube are fitted over the short metal tubes of the moisteningdevice and the tank or container and the said flexible tube is adaptedto permit the moistening device to slide'upwardly and downwardly on thesaid vertical standard or guide. The tube 13 is preferably provided witha cock or valve 14 for controlling the feed of water from the tank orcontainer to the moistening device and the said tank or container ispreferably arranged in rear of the vertical standard 3, as illustratedin the drawings, but it may be in any other desired position, as will bereadily understood. The inverted socket 12 forms a cap for the standardand is detachably fitted on the same to enable the tank or container tobe readily removed ing an eye 17 at the upper end through' which passesa suitable headed pivot 18 preferably mounted on the cap or socket 12 atone side thereof. The latch hangs in a position for engaging beneath oneof the horizontal connecting arms of the moistening device and it isadapted to hold the moistening device in the elevated position shown inFig. 2 of the drawings. lVhen the envelops, or other articles to bemoistened,

are arranged in proper position from the base, the moistening devlce isreleased and permitted to descend and rest upon the flap of the topenvelop. The envelops are then adapted to be removed from the stack orpile, as before explained, and the moistening device will automaticallydescend and successively moisten the flaps of the envelops of the saidpile or stack.

What is claimed is 1. An envelop moistener provided with a moisteningdevice movable upwardly and downwardly and having angularly relatedportions conforming to the configuration of the tapered gummed portionof an envelop, said moistening device being provided at the bottom witha wick adapted to rest upon the flap of an envelop, and means forsupplying the moistening device with water.

2; An envelop moistener including a vertically movable moistening devicehaving angularly related side portions arranged to conform generally tothe configuration of the tapered gummed area of an envelop, means forguiding the moistening device in its vertical movement, and means forsupplyin the same with water.

3. n envelop moistener including a vertical standard, a slide movableupwardly and downwardly on the standard, a moistening device connectedwith and carried by the slide and having. a wick arranged to rest uponthe flaps of a stack or pile of envelops, and means for supplying themoistening device with water.

4. An envelop moistener including a vertical standard, a slide movableupwardly and downwardly on the standard, a moistening device connectedwith and carried by the slide and having a wick arranged to rest uponthe flaps of a stack or pile of envelops, a tank or container mountedupon the stand ard at the upper portion thereof, and a flexible tubeconnecting the tank or container with the moistening device.

5. An envelop moistener including avver tical standard, a slide movableupwardly and downwardly on the standard, a moistening device connectedwith and carried by the slide and having a wick arranged to rest uponthe flaps of a stack or pile of envelops, a tank or container providedwith a cap or inverted socket fitted on the standard, and a flexibletube connected with the tank or container and with the moistening devicefor supplying the latter with water.

6. An envelop moistener including a vertical standard, a slide movableupwardly and downwardly on the standard, a moistening device connectedwith and carried by the slide and having a wick arranged to rest uponthe flaps of a stack or pile of envelops, and a latch located at theupper portion of the standard and arranged to support the moisteningdevice in an elevated position.

7. An envelop moistener including a vertical standard, a slide movableupwardly and downwardly on the standard, a moistening device connectedwith and carried by the slide and having a wick arranged to rest uponthe flaps of a stack or pile ofenvelops, a tank or container having acap or socket fitted on the upper end of the standard, a latch connectedwith the tank or container and extending downwardly therefrom andarranged to support the moistening device in an elevated position, and aflexible tube connecting the tank or container with the moisteningdevice.

8. A moistening device comprising a base,

a standard arising from the base, a sleeve slidabie on the standard, amoistening device having a Wick and arranged to rest upon the flaps of astack or pile of envelops or the like, arms connecting the moisteningdevice with the sleeve, a superimposed tank or container, and a flexibletube connected With the tank or container and With the moistening devicefor supplying the latter With Water.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 17th dayof May, 1915.

DANIEL C. ROGERS.

